EXPERIENCE OP PRACTICAL GKOWEES 



15 



No. VIII. 



BY G. I. MILLER, NIAGARA, CANADA WEST. 



IT is of the greatest importance in growing onions to 

 have the right kind of soil, and that in the highest 

 state of cultivation. In my opinion, a light sandy 

 soil, well drained for all seasons, is preferable. Onions 

 also can be raised to great advantage on black loam or 

 light clay soil, providing the seasons are not too dry. 



To prepare the ground, I would recommend a piece 

 that has been planted with potatoes, manured with 

 rotten horse-stable manure, at the rate of about fifty 

 loads per acre. As soon as the potatoes have been 

 taken from the ground, plough about seven inches deep, 

 letting it lie until the first of April, or as soon as the 

 ground will admit of being worked, then adding about 

 ten loads of hog-manure, well spread over the surface, 

 and plough under from five to six inches deep, after 

 which spread a few bushels of hen-manure, and then 

 harrow the ground until it is well pulverized. The 

 land is now ready to sow, for the earlier the seed is 

 sown, the better the onions will be. 



Testing the seed can bo done by cutting two sods 

 from the ground, and pouring boiling water over them, 

 letting the water drain well off, then placing the seed 

 between the sods, and laying them under the stove for 

 about two days, when the seed, if good, will sprout. I 

 would recommend the large red globe onion as being 

 the best variety for market. 



The seed should be sown by a seed-drill, eighteen 

 inches apart, in rows lengthwise of the land, at the 

 rate of about three to three and a half pounds of seed 

 per acre, leaving a space of three feet in the dead fur- 



rows for weeds, etc. It is necessary, as soon as the 

 rows can be plainly seen, to go through them with the 

 hoe, leaving the ground as level as possible, and at the 

 expiration of eight or ten days, go through them again, 

 weeding, and thinning them from one to two inches 

 apart ; after which it will be necessary to apply the 

 hoe every two weeks, always bearing in mind, that the 

 oftener the ground is stirred, the greater will be the 

 produce. 



After the tops are dropped down and withered, then 

 pull. them at once, for if left in the above condition, 

 they will take the second growth, which will injure 

 the quality materially. 



After they are pulled up, let them lay on the ground 

 for a few days to dry, then top them with a sharp 

 knife, taking care before doing this, that the onions are 

 perfectly dry ; after which, spread them thin, in a dry, 

 cool place, and then you have them ready for the 

 market. 



It is advantageous to grow them on the same piece 

 of ground for five or six years, adding a little manure 

 every spring before ploughing. 



Onions raised by this method will produce from 

 seven to nine hundred bushels per acre, on a light, 

 sandy soil. Onions raised on the aforesaid plan havo 

 taken the first prizes for the last six years at our count) 

 and township shows, and the first prize at the Provin 

 cial Agriculture Show, held at Toronto, Canada Wesi 

 on September 28th, 1858. 



No. IX. 



BY TJ, E. DODGE, CHATAUQUE CO., N. Y. 



SEED. To cultivate onions successfully, and with- 

 out failures, care is necessary in selecting and raising 

 seed. Seed should never be sown when over two 

 years old. Onions, intended for seed, should be care- 

 fully selected, choosing the thickest and the most per- 

 fectly round, of medium size, and the brightest colors 

 of the kind. These should be stored through the win- 

 ter, or from December until the opening of spring. 

 At the earliest possible moment, they should be set in 

 furrows opened with the plough, three feet apart, and 

 four inches in the rows. None but fine, well-pulver- 

 ized land, should b3 used for raising onion-seed. Cover 

 two inches deep. Avoid putting on any lumps or 

 stones, as these, whenever they fall upon the onions, 



retard their coming up, and consequently make an un- 

 even harvest All weeds must be kept down wj'-b 

 the cultivator and hand-hoe, until thd &eed matmes, 

 which will be about the last of August, or the urst 

 of September never later than the ciixUi of Septpm- 

 ber in this latitude. Their mature 7 Liay be easily 

 known by the cracking of the ball'* As soon as the 

 balls commence cracking, the headr &could be clipped, 

 leaving six or eight inches of the SUIK adhering to the 

 head. The juice or sap which the stalk contains, ma- 

 tures more perfect seed than when clipped short. The 

 mode of cutting, is to take a common wooden pail ic 

 the left hand, and a sharp knife in the other, holding 

 the blade parallel with the thumb. Slio the stalk be- 



